by Ahead of a lovely weekend with temperatures in the 80s, nearly 60 beaches in Massachusetts are closed.
As of Friday evening, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) interactive beach water quality dashboard shows that 58 beaches in 36 municipalities are closed to swimmers because of unsafe bacterial levels and blooms of blue-green algae. Both river and saltwater shorelines are among the closed beaches. Only roughly ten ocean beaches are closed, however most closures occur at freshwater ponds.
Since last month, the number of beach closures has nearly doubled, from 31 on July 25.
Local health authorities are required by state law to keep an eye on the bacterial levels at over 1,100 public and semi-public beaches in Massachusetts. Depending on the likelihood of water quality problems at each beach, they test either daily or monthly.
The DPH states that causes include failed septic systems, sewer overflows, animal waste, and agricultural runoff can raise bacterial levels, as can periods of intense rainfall.
Experts warn against swimming in or visiting beaches that have been closed because of excessive levels of germs and algae blooms for concerns of health and safety. Exposure to tainted water can result in a variety of illnesses, such as gastrointestinal distress, cold-like symptoms, skin irritation, or issues with the eyes and ears. Serious sickness is more likely to strike children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.
The dashboard is updated every hour, seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., throughout beach season.
The most recent information is shown in the list below as of Friday, August 22, at 8 p.m.
Massachusetts beach closures as of Friday, August 22, 2025
Amesbury
-
Glen Devin Condominiums
Beverly
-
Woodbury
Billerica
-
Nutting Lake Micozzi Beach @ North
-
Nutting Lake Micozzi Beach @ South
Boston
-
Tenean (DCR)
Braintree
-
Smith Beach
Chicopee
-
Chicopee Beach (DCR)
Concord
-
Walden Pond Main (DCR)
Danvers
-
Sandy Beach (Danvers)
Essex
-
Centennial Grove
Franklin
-
Chilson Beach
Framingham
-
Saxonville Beach
-
Learned Pond Beach
Georgetown
-
American Legion Park
Harwich
-
Seymour Pond
Holliston
-
Pleasure Point
-
Stoddard Park
Holden
-
Eagle Lake
Lynn
-
Kings (DCR) @ Eastern Ave.
-
Kings (DCR) @ Kimball Rd.
-
Kings (DCR) @ Pierce Rd.
Mashpee
-
Santuit Pond @ Bryants Neck
-
Santuit Pond @ Town Landing
Natick
-
Memorial Beach (Dug Pond) @ Wading
-
Cochituate State Park Beach (DCR)
Nantucket
-
Sesachacha Pond
New Marlborough
-
York Lake Beach (DCR)
North Andover
-
Stevens Pond Center
-
Frye Pond Beach (DCR)
Oxford
-
Carbuncle Pond
Quincy
-
Merrymount
-
Wollaston @ Channing Street (DCR)
-
Wollaston @ Milton Street (DCR)
-
Wollaston @ Rice Road (DCR)
-
Wollaston @ Sachem Street (DCR)
Revere
-
Short (DCR)
Salem
-
Children s Island Back
-
Children s Island Wally
-
Ocean Avenue
Saugus
-
Pearce Lake @ Breakheart Reservation (DCR)
Sharon
-
Community Center Beach
Southwick
-
South Pond Beach
Springfield
-
Bass Pond @ Right
-
Paddle Club @ Right
-
Camp Wilder @ Right
Townsend
-
Pearl Hill Pond Beach (DCR)
Tisbury
-
Hilman s Point
Wareham
-
Shangri-La
Webster
-
Memorial Beach (Webster) @ Location 1
-
Memorial Beach (Webster) @ Location 2
-
Lakeside
Winchendon
-
Lake Dennison State Park (DCR) @ North Camp Beach
-
Lake Dennison State Park (DCR) @ Day Use Beach
Winthrop
-
Donovans
-
Halford
-
Winthrop Beach (DCR)
Wilmington
- Wilmington Town Beach @ Center
-
Wilmington Town Beach @ Right
As a freelance journalist, Morgan Rousseau covers a range of local and regional news for Boston.com.
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